RIDGECREST -Just wanted to give you a heads up of where Project Give is taking us! On Wednesday, February 11th, we are giving a lower income preschool a Valentines day party (pictures to follow). This week we have purchased many school supplies and backpacks for a Kindergarten class in Paramount who have NOTHING.

The leadership class will be purchasing items and making easter baskets for an abused childrens home ( I am so excited). Along with the baskets Project Give has enabled us to purchase tickets to the aquarium for 6 teenage foster boys. Who are working on social skills and trust issues. This was one of their wishes.

I think it’s going so well, I can’t express how much fun I am having and how many individuals are being touched by Project Give!!

Fondly,

Jacque Hockensmith, Ridgecrest Intermediate

DODSON MIDDLE SCHOOL – Today we had the Juvenile Diabetes Association to the school and we presented them with a check while she gave a moving presentation on what it’s like to have diabetes. She was so thankful to the students for the funding. We are sponsoring and helping with a Christmas activity for kids in middle school that are in foster care – they wanted the t-shirts so they could wear them to that this Saturday.

In January we are taking a bus and will be planting trees that we have arranged to be donated to us by the tree people of Los Angeles. We will travel to the areas burned by the wildfires that we recently had in the hills around Los Angeles. We’re also donating sets of text books and school supplies to the Boys and Girls Club so that they can do their homework while they are there after school – most of them go there after school.

“…We had SO MUCH fun. The Foster Kid Party was yesterday. I went by and they let me take pictures….mostly [boys]. They had a [Santa] blowing up balloons for them. There were 58 kids in the program. We had 3 girls show up in their t-shirts to assist. It was really a great day.
The kids all had smiles. Tomorrow, we are going to the San Pedro Boy’s and Girl’s Club. They really help our kids stay out of trouble, with games and supervision along with homework help.
Dawn (another teacher with our school) went to a Christmas party in San Pedro. One of the moms was talking about Project Give donating to the Boys and Girls Club. We are becoming famous. They said the club was looking run down lately. So, our new idea is to volunteer our kids to paint and clean up the place. Tomorrow, Dawn and I are going to drop off the toys, and talk to them about colors, and scheduling our “Paint and Polish Party”.

This really has taken off. THANKS AGAIN. We will be hitting the after Christmas sales, to finish our wish lists for Miller’s Children’s Cancer Center and the Wilmington Boys and Girls. Wilmington wanted back packs and school supplies, so the kids can go back to school after vacation with new stuff. And, for the next 3 weeks – we have kids looking for change to send a diabetic child to camp. I’m hoping each Project Give student can come up with $8.00 in change. The speaker (Juvenile Diabetes Assn.) was AMAZING and the kids were inspired, so with $850 we can send two kids to camp.
I’m so excited about this!”

Cathy Webster
Dodson Middle School